Apparatus for severing pipe



Sept. 13, 1938. R. c. SHOWALTER I 2,129,969

APPARATUS FOR SEVERING PIPE Filed Jan. 27, 1936 Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR SEVERING PIPE Russell 0. Showalter, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application January 27, 1936, Serial No. 60,986

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for severing pipe.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described specially designed for use in connection with fire fighting equipment and adapted to cut off the upper end of the pipe extending above the ground surface from a Well bore so that the distorted connections above can be removed and a section of pipe containing a control valve anchored to the well pipe whereby the well may be closed.

In production of oil or gas, it often happens that the fluid issuing from the well becomes ignited and this fluid, in such cases, is usually flowing under high pressure so that it is difficult to extinguish the fire and control the flow of fluid. In such cases, the pipe and pipe connections above the ground are usually distorted so that a connection can not be made to the well pipe to take care of the fluid flowing from the well. It is a prime object of this invention to provide equipment for cutting 01f the well pipe above the ground surface as a preliminary step to connecting controlling equipment to the well With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the apparatus, and

Figure 2 shows a side view showing the upper end of the well pipe and flow connections attached thereto, showing a fragmentary view of the severing apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral I designates the well pipe which extends down into the Well and whose upper end extends above the ground surface and has the Christmas tree 2, or other flow connections attached to the upper end thereof.

In case of fire, it is desirable to sever the pipe I beneath the Christmas tree so that all distorted connections may be removed and equipment attached to the upper end of the pipe I for closing the well. In order to accomplish this purpose, a cable 3 is provided. The ends of this cable are wound on the respective drums 4, 4, of the trucks 5, 5.

It is to be understood that the conventional equipment is employed through which the drums 4 may be rotated, said equipment embodying suitable clutches for releasing the drums from the driving means. The means for driving the drums, as well as the clutches for connecting the same with, and disconnecting the same from, 5 the driving means have not been shown in detail, as conventional means commonly used for the purpose will be employed.

The trucks 5 will be so positioned that the cable 3 will operate on one side of the pipe I, as illus- 10 trated in Figure 1. One of the drums 5 will be positively driven while the other is released to unwind the cable therefrom, and thereupon the driving drum will be de-clutched and the other drum will be operatively connected with its driv- 15 ing means so as to reverse the direction of movement of the cable. Steel wire cable will usually be employed and it will be thereby reciprocated back and forth around the pipe 1 until the pipe is cut in two. 20

Suitable weights 6, 6, are clamped to the cable on opposite sides of the pipe I. These weights slide back and forth along the surface of the ground and hold that section of the cable between them steady so that the cable will move 25 back and forth in the same plane. They also hold the cable taut and accentuate its frictional effect on the pipe.

A long cable will usually be employed with a reserve supply on one drum, andas a section of 30 the cable becomes worn and is liable to become broken, the worn portion will be wound on the other drum and a new section of the cable will be fed off of the storage drum.

The weights 6, 6, are arranged so that they can 35 be adjusted as the cable is fed off of one drum onto the other so that they will be properly positioned relative to the pipe I.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the in- 40 vention by way of illustration only, while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Pipe severing apparatus comprising a fiexi- 45 ble line, truck mounted drums on which the respective ends of the line are wound and means for reciprocating the line about, and in frictional contact with, the pipe to be severed, and tension weights attached to the line on opposite sides of 50 the pipe.

2. Pipe severing apparatus comprising a flexible line, drums about which the respective ends of the line are wound and means for rotating said drums, and reciprocating the line about, and 55 in frictional contact with the pipe to be severed, and tension weights adjustably secured to the line and spaced apart.

3. Pipe severing apparatus comprising a flexible friction line, truck mounted drums about which the respective ends of the line are wound and by the rotation of which the line may be reciprocated in frictional contact with the pipe, and weights attached to the line and spaced apart.

RUSSELL C. SHOWALTER. 

